Snow fence



fulffJune 6, '1.939. c. P. BOHLAND sNow FENCE Filed Dec. 8, 1957Patented June 6, 1939 rATjENT- OFFICE I2,161,450 ,Tfr/,SNOW FENCE Y`ear1P.-oh1and, Watertown, s. Dak. Application necembef, issz'vseriialNo..17s,7s6 ffl n f Claims.VV- (Cl. E56- 24) Y My invention'relates Vtosnowffencesandgate. :construction of a newzand vunique type involvingvr,permanent 1 installationV andw easy manipulationofothe fence`tovariousfheights andin series of sections extending aconsiderabledistance.Y

' Among featuresofgthe device are,y permanent construction andmounting-,vertical adjustment y accordingto snow condition andelevatedposirtioning unobstructive toocultivation, etc., during snowlessseasons, unique sectional and connected vfencev sections andmeans forraising one sec,-A

'tion, as a gatejor a number of sections of fence simultaneously.v Otherobjects and advantages are k,l'iereinafter fullyl setforth referencebeing had` to the accompanying drawing,A vin which: Fig. 1 is anelevation ofasnow fence `embodying my improved construction. Fig 2 is anenguiding standard.

, struction.

Referring to the drawing by reference letters and numerals, likecharacters designating cor;

respondingrparts in thejvariousviews, my snow fence comprisesaccordingto'length of fence a number of fence sections A connected end to endpivotally as at B in the upper bar Yof the rrfence.

Each section A comprises preferably an4 upper railnbar 'I of sheetrmetal of inverted U-shape in cross section, a lower bar. 8 alsosheet-metal and of U-shape, a number of spaced parallel and verticalslatsY 9 iixeduinr said channel parts'or bars, vall of. relativelylightbut sturdy construction. Bars 14-8 may be-'of other suitable con- Foreach fence ,section I provide avertical Each standard comprises. a pairof parallel upright posts Ill, preferably pipe,

and connected at their top endsA as at Il (see Figs. 2 and 3) theirlower 'ends suitably irn-l bedded .and xed as in aconcrete base I2. The

. openingof said.. standard'v is inaA planer'. at right anglesV to'thedirection'of the fencet'o permit free', vertical movement of the fencetherein by *means presently to be described.

I3 is aV preferably concrete basein spacedalined relation tofone end ofthefence andy on which is securedan elongated frame I4 with a" pivot I5for a fence raising main boom I6 the outer movable jendjy ofkwhich; Vispivotally connected at 6 -tc the upper corner part of the nearest fencesection A. I6Aare a number of auxiliary booms,

`each pivotally mounted at I'I (with its lower end) in'a bracket I8'fixed on a post base I2 adjacent the post. The outer end of each suchboomis pivotallyconnected at 6 to a pair of 5 fence sections, saidauxiliary booms adapted to be raised in unison with the main boom I6 andthus raise all the fence sections A simultaneously, boom] 6 beingprovided with raising means which will presently be described. 10

The main boom raising means may comprise any suitable manipulatingmechanism preferably azturnbuckle I9 engaging a threaded eye-bar 20 theeye of whichis pivotally retained on a pin ZIinan upright frame or plate22 on the boom 15 I 6.: '3| is the other threaded eye-bar for theturnbuckle and pivotally connected at 23 to the rear endpart of theframe HIr (see Fig. l) Manipulation -of. the turnbuckle will of courseraise or lower the. boom to simultaneously and thereby set the entire.vfence in: any desired elevation, the'respectiv fence sections beingguided vertically in the openingsy of the standards I0, and

the' maximum raising movement Will be such that the boomsv arepositioned vertically all of 25 thebooms brought to vertical positionparallel to the standards I0 and the entire fence at this time beingraised to maximum height (see dotted line position of booms and fence inFig. 1).

"Snow fences hitherto used can only build up a snowdrift equalto theheight of the fence, which inall cases is a fixed height. With the useof iny'idevice theY fence can be raised as soon as the top: of thesnowdrift is at the same level as the t'opfofV thefence. Byl raising thefence the 35 snow. will build up or accumulate to a new level, namely tothe top of the snow fence in its` raised position,` andv by repeatingthis procedure, as conditions demand, ag'driftlof snow can be built upequal to the height of the top of the fence 4o in its highest position.Vice-versa, in case of sudden' thaws the snowdrift shrinks, the fencecan be lowered to desired elevation so same will be ready for the nextsnow storm.

By proper manipulation, the snow which generally piles up on the roadcan be kept in the adjacent eld and thereby keep the highway or roadopenfor trac. And, when the snow thaws in the spring the Water from suchdrifts will be absorbed'by the ground in the field, thus conservingmoisture for agricultural purposes, and also keep :water away from theroad where it may do considerable damage.r v t This fence canalso'beused for cattle enclosure, or so-called corrals. By disconnectingthe rst where sudden climatic changes may occur two tiers of fences maybe used, a lower tier clgsetow the ground all winter and an upper tiermovable v up and down as may be requiredu` Such lower tier may be boltedto upper one and both raised Y for proper clearance for farm equipment.v

Obviously this fence can also be used vfor aV transverse fence in afield for conservation of moisture only; and it may be used forprotection of groves of young fruit trees. with several tiers of fenceon the. prevailing windwar-d side of an orchard.

Another use for this fence is as in stock-yards, Where swinging .gatesare objectionable. Sections of the fence can be installed which willserve as vertical lift gates. The main boom I6 may be raised quickly byany other suitable mechanical means or even an electric motor (notshown) subject to remote control. f

The vertical lift type of gate above described is desirable further forthe reason that no large area is required as when swinging gates areused and no snow clearance is rst required as is the case in the use ofhorizontal swinging gates after a snowstorm.

To ease the lifting operation in my improved fence some or all of theauxiliary booms may be provided with an inclined booster devicecomprising simply an eyebolt 24 slidably insertible and retained in apivot block 25 iixed at 26 to theV boom and its eye end near-est theadjacent standard ID. 21 is a tension coil spring connecting said eye ofbolt 24 and the post the other end of said spring connected as at 28'tothe standard. 29 is a thumb screw on bolt 24 to regulate the tension ofthe booster spring. Initially, when the fence is to be raised from itslowest position the tension or booster brace 24V-21 is of coursegreatest, and when the fence is raised from said initial position saidmeans assist materially to raise the entire fence and continue to bethus useful until the spring loses its pull, at which time ther boomshave raised the fence considerably and the latter is easily manipulatedtoward its uppermost position.

Where a fence of this type is set up a considerable length of it isadjustable from one master boom, it 'being possible and practical tomanipulate several hundred feet of fence.` The alll metal lightconstruction eliminates loss by grass or brush res.

In Fig. 4 a row of standards I0 are shown set up as required on unevenground, it being un-derstood that the standards must be perpendicular tothe surface of the ground in which they are set. In Fig. the end of thefence (opposite from the manipulated end) is shown and in which the lastfence section A is guided vertically between a pair of diagonal braces(preferably pipe) 30 extending from the top of the last standard l0 toanchor blocks I2A or equivalent means.

It will now be clearly understood that my improved fence, ofconsiderable length may be' easily raised or lowered by one man equippedwith ordinary means for turning the turnbuckle, and

the entire fence is held in any desired elevation by the simplemanipulation described.

Modifications within the scope of the invention as herein disclosed, maybe made without departing from the scope and spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A snow fence comprising a series of alined fence sections eachsection comprising an upper horizontal rail and a corresponding lowerrail and a number of suitably spaced upright slats Vretained in saidrails, means for detachably connecting said rail sections end to end, anumber ofv fence posts corresponding to the number oi Yfence sections,said posts slotted to permit reciprocating vertical movement of thefence sections therein and means for actuating said fence in verticalplane and holding the entire fence in any desired elevation. V Y

2. 'I'he structure specified in claim 1 in which said rasing meanscomprises a lever oscillatable in vertical plane and connected with theupper rail of the rst fence section, secondary levers oscillatable inunison with and by the lever, said secondary levers pivoted each nearthe base of a post and its outer end pivotally connected to the top railof the fence in spaced relation to the post.

3. The structure specified in claim 1, in which said raising meanscomprises a lever oscillatable in vertical plane and connected with'theupper rail of the rst fence section, secondary levers oscillatable inunison with and by the said lever, said secondary levers pivoted eachnear the base of a post and its outer end pivotally connected to the toprail of the fence, and a flexible connection between each post and itsadjacent secondary lever, said connection comprising means under springtension and exerting an upward pull on the fence.

4. In fence construction of the class described, a number of alinedfence sections pivotally connected end to end, a series of fence postscomprising each a standard of two parallel fixed bars, a lever devicemounted in common plane with the fence and adjacent one end thereof andthe lever thereof comprising a fence raising boom connected at its endwith the end part of the rst fence section, auxiliary booms pivotallymounted and connected to thefence sections, each said` latter boomcorresponding in size to the said lever, means for raising and loweringsaid lever and the fence sections and the auxiliary boomssimultaneously, said fence sections each said standard is mounted, apivot block on said base adjacent the foot of the standard, each saidauxiliary boom fulcrumed in a pivot block and extending in a planeparallel to the side of the fence and its free end pivotally connectedto the upper rail of the fence, said raising lever and the auxiliarybooms co-ordinated to oscillate in unison.

CARL P. BOI-ILAND.

